“NAMEJS 2023”

Comprehensive national defence exercise Namejs 2023 takes place in Latvia

Comprehensive State Defence  exercise “Namejs 2023” will take place in Latvia from 5 September to 2 October throughout Latvia.

To improve and strengthen the ability to perform tasks in the event of a threat to national security, the Comprehensive State Defence Excercise “Namejs 2023” will be conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and its subordinate institutions, the Ministry of the Interior and its subordinate institutions, State Emergency Medical Service, as well as several municipalities and business entities.

Soldiers and National Guardsmen from all units of the National Armed Forces and allied forces will participate in the “Namejs 2023” exercise together with state and local government institutions, as well as representatives of private sector companies and organisations, in order to provide the necessary support for national defence needs and thus strengthen the comprehensive national defence system in Latvia.

Allied troops from the USA, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania will also be involved in the exercise. The exercise will also involve the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia (eFP), the NATO Force Integration Unit Latvia (NFIU), the Canadian Forces Command Latvia and Task Force Latvia (TFL). The exercise will be supported by the Joint Expeditionary Force. This year, for the first time, the exercise is being organized in cooperation with NATO Multinational Division North Headquarters (MND-N). The annual exercise “Silver Arrow”, organised by the Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Land Forces, will take place as part of the comprehensive national defence exercise Namejs 2023.

A total of around 8500 participants will take part in the defence exercise.

In responding to changing security challenges, Latvia's national defence system must be comprehensive and based on the crisis preparedness of society and state institutions as a whole, as well as resilience to external influences. A comprehensive state defence system includes not only national defence or public administration institutions, but also private sector actors, businesses, non-governmental organisations, citizens and others. The aim of a comprehensive state defence system is to facilitate the establishment of a system of planning, coordination and partnership between public institutions, the private sector, NGOs and citizens in the performance of nationally important functions. The practical objective of a comprehensive state defence system is to define specific tasks and roles for each public institution in the field of national defence.

The military training “Namejs” has been planned in advance and has taken place throughout Latvia since 2014.

The regular conduct of military exercises plays an essential role in maintaining and strengthening the combat capabilities of the National Armed Forces. They must always be at a consistently high level, in order to be ready to quickly respond to potential threats and guarantee the safety of Latvia. At the same time, the National Armed Forces are strengthening cooperation with both state and local government institutions and representatives of various industries. The involvement of these stakeholders in military exercises strengthens the national defence system in Latvia.